The Name of the Star
The Name of the Star is the first book of the Shades of London series, written by Maureen Johnson. Official Summary The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities. Plot Summary (to be added) Italic = Claire Jenkins byline Normal = The story so far The CCTV is watching as Claire Jenkins is rushing towards her work, concious of the time as she is running late. She tries to send a text in to the hospital, but the rain falling around her makes it impossible for her to type. After a few fumbled attempts at typing, she's sent sprawling as she trips over something which she had not seen. The darkness of the early morning makes it impossible for her to see as she reaches around for her phone, eventually finding it as she pats the ground around her. She starts to get up, but realises that she is wet; her hands all sticky with something she knows all too well. The nurse that she is, she recognises blood instantly and also realises that it can't be hers as it's too sticky and congealed - not a sign of new blood, therefore telling her that the blood had been around prior to her fall. She realises that she is surrounded by the sticky fluid, and now identifies the thing that she had tripped over as a corpse. Horror sweeps over her as she reaches out towards the body, reaching for the head of the dead person. Her stomach lurches as she realises that there is an empty space where the head should be, the head itself barely attached to the neck. She runs to the police. The eyes had seen it all. Rory flies to London from Benouville, catching a plane hat was late as hurricanes had hit her town, causing her to fly alone to the UK whilst her parents waited for another flight to Bristol, so they could teach at the university there. After 11 hours on the plane, she disembarks to find an old man waiting for her. He identifies himself as Mr.Franks, the chauffeur for Wexford Sixth Form, and so Rory begins the drive down to her new college-of-one-year. Whilst in the car, Mr. Franks tells her about the Ripper terror and excitement that has started to settle over London. The radio in the car also blares with the news of the murder of Rachel Belanger, the first victim of the copycat Ripper. Rory doesn't understand the hype around these murders, and so her mind is filled with other things as she is driven into Wexford, where Claudia awaits her to introduce her to Wexford. Commendations